History EnsembleDarkhorse / ComicBooks

** Killer Croc is very well-loved when he's written as a NobleDemon. In the New 52, he got a big popularity boost after his sympathetic portrayals in ''ComicBook/BatmanEternal'' and ''Gotham Academy'', which paint him as someone who just wants to protect those he cares about.

* ''Franshise/WonderWoman'':

* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog'': Scourge the Hedgehog and, by extension, the Suppression Squad. When they first appeared, Scourge was just "Anti-Sonic", the Suppression Squad the "Anti-Freedom Fighters" and their homeworld of "Moebius" was just "Anti-Mobius". Even their looks were bland - they were just "Freedom Fighters in leather". Anti-Sonic was so ineffectual, his lowest point was being dropped by [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys Antoine]] ''completely by accident''. Under the pen of Ian Flynn, however, he shed all of those traits, getting a new look and taking a [[BreakThemByTalking breaking speech]] to heart, [[TookALevelInBadass becoming a massive threat.]]

* ''ComicBook/TheLegendOfWonderWoman2016'' version of Etta Candy has become very popular and arguably the most well-known aspect of the already well-received miniseries. It helps that unlike most versions after the Golden Age, she is neither slim nor does she feel particularly insecure about her weight, being simply a modern take on her original BigFun ActionGirl version.
** Speaking of Wonder Woman, there is ComicBook/{{Artemis}} of the Bana-Mighdall. Introduced as an AntiHeroSubstitute of Diana in [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 the '90s]], Artemis was killed off but resurrected due to her popularity as a {{Foil}} to Diana. She has since become the most focused and developed member of the Bana-Mighdall tribe and is considered one of the most iconic Wonder Woman supporting characters.

** Among ''Comicbook/XStatix'''s frequently rotating cast, few stood out as much as the team's teleporter, U-Go Girl, a cute blue-skinned SouthernBelle with a TearJerker of a backstory and probably the most functional moral compass among the UnscrupulousHero team. Writer Peter Milligan was well aware of her popularity and chose to herald a major turning point in the story by [[KillTheCutie killing her off]] - years later, reflecting on the series, he considered doing that his biggest mistake. But with ''ComicBook/JohnathanHickmansXMen'' gaining the means to bring mutants BackFromTheDead, it's only a matter of time until U-Go Girl makes her long-awaited return.

* Death from ''Comicbook/TheSandman''. She was originally meant to be a minor recurring character who might appear a handful of times, but her instant popularity with the audience -- helped no doubt by her {{perky|Goth}}, upbeat, kindhearted nature, a [[DontFearTheReaper sharp contrast]] to [[TheGrimReaper most personifications of Death]] -- was so strong that Gaiman made sure she'd get at least one appearance in all ten volumes. These appearances vary in size but always feel substantial, and their sparsity helps prevent the story from ever focusing on her too much. Not to mention she's become canon in the actual DC universe.

* Comicbook/{{Blade}} of the Creator/{{Marvel comic|s}} ''Comicbook/TheTombOfDracula''. He was the token minority character in that 1970s comic and appeared periodically to assist Quincy Harker, Frank Drake, and Rachel Van Helsing. Blade notably teamed up with vampire detective Hannibal King to defeat their archfoe Deacon Frost. He, Frank Drake, and King would continue years later in various 90s comics such as Nightstalkers and Midnight Suns. Drake would vanish as a result of ChuckCunninghamSyndrome and even Dracula himself has no reason to show up unless it's for another melee with Blade. King would show up periodically but all vampire-centric Marvel stories of the 90s and 2000s seem to acknowledge Blade as their central main character.
* Bob, Agent of ComicBook/{{HYDRA}} became quite popular for no particular reason when he first appeared in ''ComicBook/CableAndDeadpool'' and has gone on to become a fan favorite. Fan reaction to his appearance in Deadpool's solo title can be summed up as, "OMG, IT'S BOB!" And of course, Deadpool being Deadpool, he knew this, even pointing out there might some day be a "Bob, Agent of HYDRA mini". Heck, ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} himself was only an {{Expy}} of DC's Comicbook/{{Deathstroke}}. His wacky nature and [[BreakingTheFourthWall complete lack of fourth wall]] have now earned him his own series. When ''Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' was announced, his appearance was probably one of the ones people were most excited about. [[spoiler: And after it came out? Probably the most annoyed about.]]

* Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel (formerly Comicbook/MsMarvel), was originally created as a DistaffCounterpart to Comicbook/CaptainMarVell, and even worse, became known as 'the woman whose power got stolen by [[ComicBook/XMen Rogue]]' (who is actually more popular). However, she has actually made quite a name for herself and developed an ever-growing fan following. She was included in both ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' games as a playable character, and many players agreed that she was one of the best characters. She also appears in several other shows such as ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'', ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'' and ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', appeared in ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher'' and comic-wise, she's shaped up to be one of the more important heroines of the Marvel Universe (even going so far as becoming the AlternateCompanyEquivalent of DC's iconic Franchise/WonderWoman). In July 2012, she became [[LegacyCharacter Captain Marvel]], getting her own series, [[WolverinePublicity popping up everywhere]] -- especially in the ''All-New, All-Different'' Marvel Universe -- and even has [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 her own film]] in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''.
* Let's talk about [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan.]] Teenager? Check. Minority? Check. Taking up the title of an abandoned identity? Check. No major connection to the previous character? Double check. Being pushed for some sort of initiative? The whole building up the Inhumans bit - Check there. Had this been the 90s, there would have been a major uproar and demands for Carol to return to her old name. However, Kamala, who is pretty much JustForFun/OneOfUs and a sweet and lovable girl, won people over instantly with her crazy adventures and out-and-out [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee squeeing over seeing her heroes]]. Her popularity exploded to the point where, not only is she part of the Avengers in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' initiative, as well as showing up in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' and ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Marvel's Avengers]]'', but she'll also get her very own ''Marvel Cinematic Universe'' show on Creator/DisneyPlus (It helps that she appeared a couple of years after Carol's becoming Captain Marvel, which was itself well received).
* Comicbook/SquirrelGirl became the most popular character from Comicbook/GreatLakesAvengers, despite being the newest and least important member of that group. You could argue it's because she's FunPersonified [[DepartmentOfRedundancyDepartment Personified]] in the otherwise [[DysfunctionJunction moopy Marvel Universe]], but it's mostly attributed to her beating the flock out [[MemeticBadass of villains such as]] Doctor Doom, ComicBook/{{Thanos}} and [[ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} the evil, evil man]] with no other powers than [[WhatKindOfLamePowerIsHeartAnyway The Power Of]] [[SpeaksFluentAnimal Talking To Squirrels]]. In one appearance, she needs to borrow Dr. Doom's [[spoiler: time machine to go back in time and rescue Speedball from becoming Penance.]] She walks into Doom's castle, politely asks to use it and Doom resignedly tells her that it's the door past the portrait of his mother without even asking why she's there in the first place.\\
\\
In 2015 she got [[ComicBook/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl her own series]] which fully embraced the Silver Age silliness she was a callback to. It was well received and got a new issue #1 in the 2015 reboot.

** Spider-Man himself started out as one as his first issue was the last publishing of ''Amazing Fantasy'', which was expected not to sell. Expectations were [[BreakoutCharacter proven wrong]] and Spidey not only got his own series but also got a [[Franchise/{{Spiderman}} franchise]] based around him and is generally regarded as the flagship character of the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse. Notably, when his status in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse was rendered "ExiledFromContinuity" by the deal between Creator/{{Sony}} and Creator/{{Disney}} falling through in August 2019, there was an uproar within the fandom.
** The [[ComicBook/NormanOsborn Green Goblin]] started out as a typical, albeit mysterious villain who was quickly considered Spidey's greatest foe even though Creator/StanLee almost decided not to use him as a ''Spider-Man'' villain. He was killed off and turned into a LegacyCharacter, eventually getting brought back simply to resolve the highly disliked [[ComicBook/TheCloneSaga Clone Saga]]. After ''Film/SpiderMan1'' brought him into the mainstream and he was moved to the ComicBook/{{Thunderbolts}}, he quickly became iconic and popular. He moved on from a Spidey foe to the star of [[Comicbook/DarkReign a major comic book event.]] Not only that but as a result, Norman Osborn, a VillainWithGoodPublicity, headlined THE [[Comicbook/DarkAvengers Top Selling Comic Book]] for a YEAR. Even some of his haters started to get fond of him in Superior Spider-Man as the Goblin King. He also inspired other Goblins such as Hobgoblin and his own son Harry.

** ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson was originally simply meant to be TheRival of Gwen Stacy but eventually became Peter's true love
** [[DatingCatwoman Black Cat]] transformed from a simple bank robber to a romantic love interest and even crime-fighting partner.

** Flash Thompson is popular as an adult character once he's outgrown his JerkJock tendencies and gained some depth. As Venom, he got his own series and, while not quite as well-known as Eddie Brock's Venom, still is considered a runner. He's the only character other than Eddie to be a popular incarnation of Venom, in fact, and even Eddie Brock fans tend to like him in the role.
** Venom: The black suit and Eddie Brock is also very popular as well as Carnage. WordOfGod is that Eddie Brock was originally slated to die after a number of issues, with the Venom symbiote bouncing around to other characters. Eddie proved so popular that he kept the symbiote much longer than planned and has stayed alive and revamped to be more of an AntiHero, with Carnage created specifically to fill the "evil symbiote" role originally planned for Venom.

** Ben Reilly as the Scarlet Spider.
*** Kaine as the eventual and deeply reluctant successor to that name, who was RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap by Creator/ChristopherYost, whose ''ComicBook/ScarletSpider2012'' series became a cult hit thanks to its fun cast (including {{Adorkable}} BreakOutCharacter Aracely) and Kaine trying to be a hero while acting in some of the most irresponsible ways possible and dealing with the Other and the various totemic aspects of his powers that Peter had to handle in the early 2000's. While it was cancelled, Yost took Kaine and Aracely and made them the centrepiece of his ''ComicBook/NewWarriors'' reboot. And while ''that'' was cancelled, Kaine then starred in ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse'', before a Scarlet Spider who is almost certainly him (he has the same costume, same powers and same [[GoodIsNotNice attitude]]) started starring in ''WesternAnimation/UltimateSpiderMan''. Not bad for a character who was mostly dismissed as one of the worst parts of the trainwreck that was the Clone Saga.

** ComicBook/SpiderGwen, the Gwen Stacy Spider-Woman that showed up in the storyline ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse''. Fans were already clamoring for more of her ''just by the cover to her first official story''. It got more intense when previews started coming out. It was so bad that there were already people cosplaying as her ''long before'' she officially appeared in a comic! And less than a month after she finally appeared in a comic, she got her personal ongoing series and became officially part of the Spider family.
*** It seems that "Gwen Stacy in alternate roles" have taken off to the point where there's going to be a Christmas-based one-shot featuring "Gwenpool", a Gwen Stacy who became ComicBook/{{Deadpool}} (though, thankfully, she doesn't look like she's suffering from the cancer-ridden HealingFactor normal Deadpool has), who appeared in a set of variant covers with Gwen in various roles. After her debut in ''ComicBook/HowardTheDuck'' she gets her series, Comicbook/TheUnbelievableGwenpool, but she is reinterpretated as a MetaGirl (a girl from another universe where all the heroes and villains of this universe are comic book characters) with no relation to Gwen Stacy beyond their first name and hair color.
** People really seem to love Comicbook/{{Ultimate|SpiderMan}} Jessica Drew, Peter's {{Opposite Sex Clone}}. She's appeared relatively only a few times in the ComicBook/{{Ultimate Marvel}} Universe. Yet fans tend to go "oh no!" whenever something bad happens to her or squeal whenever something good happens to her.
* Comicbook/ThePunisher. Originally he was supposed to appear only in one issue of ''The Amazing Spider-Man''. Fans liked him, so he reappeared. And then he became an enemy of Comicbook/{{Daredevil}}, because of their different views. He also featured in Comicbook/CaptainAmerica comics and some others. And when in the 80s the world was ready for a cold blooded killer to become the main character of a series, he got his [[ComicBook/ThePunisherCircleOfBlood first own comic book]]. And he was all over the Franchise/MarvelUniverse, not teaming up or fighting against maybe only guys really out of his league like ComicBook/SilverSurfer.

* Moonstone was just another villain until ''Comicbook/{{Thunderbolts}}'' reinvented her as a MagnificentBastard {{Jerkass}}. Then she had her own comic, was a part of the Comicbook/DarkAvengers team and sat at the right hand of Norman Osborn. Same with Songbird (helps that her hair tastes like strawberries).

** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} has turned into this. In fact, he's ''so'' popular, he's often [[WolverinePublicity used as a marketing ploy for other series in which he doesn't appear at all]]. Ironically, one of the early plans was for [[ChromeChampion Colossus]] to be the BreakoutCharacter and Wolverine nearly killed off in his third issue with the team (and second as X-man), which more recent fans would no doubt find hard to believe. Instead they killed his teammate Thunderbird, who had a very similar personality, largely because his powers were more generic than Wolverine's (neither a HealingFactor nor claws were particularly common powers in comic books at the time; it's largely Wolverine's later hyper-popularity that changed that).
*** ComicBook/OldManLogan has joined the ranks, thanks to ''ComicBook/SecretWars2015''. He was already fairly popular due to his story of being in a BadFuture where the supervillains (and a few surviving heroes) rule America, but that got expanded with ''Wars'' where he went on a journey across Battleworld in search of how an Ultron head landed in his yard. He migrates into the normal Marvel Universe following ''Wars'', replacing the original Wolverine, who died prior to the storyline.
** Wolverine's [[OppositeSexClone female clone]]/daughter figure ''[[ComicBook/{{X23}} Laura Kinney, aka X-23]]'' has taken off in a similar manner to her adoptive father. Originally a CanonImmigrant from ''WesternAnimation/XMenEvolution'', her popularity was helped by the fact that most of her appearances were in [[CreatorsPet books written by her creators]] Creator/ChristopherYost and Creator/CraigKyle. However, it was Marjorie Liu's take on the character in her own solo series that really made her popularity take off. Nowadays she's taken up her father's blue and yellow's as the ''[[ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel All-New]] [[LegacyCharacter Wolverine]]''.

** ''ComicBook/KittyPryde'' has managed to return into mainstream comics despite every X-Men writer not named Creator/ChrisClaremont giving no crap about her. Joss Whedon made her popular again in ComicBook/AstonishingXMen and Kitty even took over as leader of the X-Men which is a mighty jump from where she started.
** Blink also gained quite a fan following after a fairly brief existence in their mainstream storylines, due to her unique look and interesting variation on semi-common teleportation powers. She got an upgraded role in the Comicbook/AgeOfApocalypse storyline, which in turn upgraded her popularity. She was so popular that she survived the destruction of that universe and became a main character in the ''Comicbook/{{Exiles}}'' spinoff.
** ComicBook/{{Magneto}} despite his humble debut has become one Marvel’s biggest BreakoutVillain(s) being a complex, tragic AntiVillain with a StoryBreakerPower that makes him unique compared to Marvel’s other antagonists. Add two wonderful live action portrayals and being a GameBreaker in ''VideoGame/MarvelVsCapcom'' and it’s not wonder he’s a beloved antagonist... [[MemeticMutation just don’t threaten him with a wooden gun]].
** In many ways ComicBook/{{Cyclops}} is this, his troubled nature, his polarising actions for fans and creative use of EyeBeams has put him on a level somewhere just below Wolverine. DependingOnTheWriter Scott can be the unsung hero, infidelic asshole or radical zealot.
** Comicbook/{{Storm}} could certainly qualify. While she wasn't a side character when she started out, they probably didn't expect her to become a hit, much less become probably the most recognizable black superhero.
** ComicBook/{{Nightcrawler}} was this in the 80s and remains one of the most popular X-Men to this day thanks to his NiceGuy personality and TeleportSpam powers. It also helps that Creator/AlanCumming’s portrayal did do Nightcrawler justice in ''Film/X2XMenUnited''.
** ComicBook/{{Rogue}} started off as a VillainOfTheWeek troublesome PowerParasite for the ComicBook/TheAvengers and X-Men, she got more popular when she did a HeelFaceTurn to the X-Men. By the time of the 90s where Creator/JimLee and other artists effectively made Rogue [[MsFanservice a bombshell]], she exploded with popularity that was backed up by her prominence [[WesternAnimation/XMen the fox cartoon]], Rogue is now considered one Marvel’s most notable [[ActionGirl female powerhouse]] essentially X-Men’s Wonder Woman. Suffice to say, Rogue [[AdaptationalWimp less than stellar portrayal]] in the films remains a sore spot among fans.
** ComicBook/{{Gambit}} is a character that has somehow endured since the 90s combining the best elements of grizzled smoking badass and dashing {{Swashbuckler}}, not mention his BadassLongcoat. Gambit even managed to make it out of the much reviled '' Film/XMenOriginsWolverine'' with dignity as Taylor Kitsch portrayal of Gambit was one of the few decent things in movie. Nowadays, Gambit along with his eternal love Rogue have got [[ComicBook/MrAndMrsX a solo series]] making them both BreakoutCharacter(s).
** Nate Grey a.k.a. Comicbook/XMan, from the Age of Apocalypse, qualifies, getting a solo series that lasted for over six years and 75 issues, being one of the key players in the Age of Apocalypse and Onslaught, the two big X-Events of the 90's, and hanging out with Spider-Man, the X-Men and even - briefly - the Avengers, before stealing the show on his return in Dark X-Men, in which he proceeded to play the entire cast like a fiddle. [[spoiler: Pity the Green Goblin persona wasn't as self-destructive as he thought]]. After that, he had a solid role in the New Mutants until Marvel NOW, before returning in ''ComicBook/UncannyXMen2018'' with his full power-set as the WellIntentionedExtremist BigBad and sparking the X-Men's BatFamilyCrossover ''ComicBook/AgeOfXMan''. Not bad for an alternate reality version of Cable.

** Kate Bishop (Hawkeye). She's the only character without some sort of legacy attached to the Avengers themselves, and took the name of a character that was unceremoniously killed off, so you think she'd be hated. But no, she is by far the most popular member of the team, to the point where, even after Clint came back, she got to keep the Hawkeye name. She was so popular that she even became deuteragonist of Matt Fraction's ''Hawkeye'' ongoing, where her popularity increased even further.

* The success of the ''Film/{{Deadpool|2016}}'' movie has not only made interest in the character explode, but Domino's as well; fans are practically ''begging'' for her to be in a possible sequel. Just go to Website/DeviantArt and put her name into the search engine to see as many hits recently as the X-Ladies.

** Comicbook/{{Catwoman}} started out as a sparsely appearing character in the Batman series, became a regular villain, then became an AntiHero with several series of comics bearing her name as the title.
** Comicbook/HarleyQuinn. [[NewerThanTheyThink If you can believe it,]] she's only been an official part of the DC Universe since 1999, but she has arguably the biggest fan following of ''any'' Bat-mythos character other than Batman or Comicbook/TheJoker (and possibly Comicbook/{{Catwoman}}). Not bad for a character who started out as the [[DistaffCounterpart female counterpart]] of ComicBook/TheJoker [[WesternAnimation/BatmanTheAnimatedSeries in a TV show]].
** Poison Ivy became ''much'' more popular when [[HoYay/{{Batman}} paired with Harley]], and a one-off miniseries, "ComicBook/HarleyAndIvy", was made of them later.
** ComicBook/TheJoker was originally supposed to be a one-shot villain, who apparently ''died'' at the end of his first appearance. It [[JokerImmunity wouldn't be the last time he cheated death]], though, since he makes just [[BreakoutVillain too perfect]] a {{foil}} for Batman.
** ComicBook/TheRiddler made his first appearance in 1948. He wouldn't make his second until 1965. Yet he would be one of the cornerstones of Creator/JuliusSchwartz's "New Look" Batman and Frank Gorshin's portrayal made him one of the Big Four villains on the ''Series/Batman1966'' TV series.
** Dick Grayson (Robin I/ Nightwing I/ Batman III) is so popular he's this for the ''whole universe'', to the point that Geoff Johns refused to kill him off as instructed on the basis that he was TheHeart of the DCU and his fanbase was too damn big. His ''Nightwing'' series was a consistent strong seller and was only cancelled because he was becoming Batman. As Batman, he completely averted the ReplacementScrappy trope and ended up having ''more'' ongoing series than Bruce had once he came back.
** [[ComicBook/RobinSeries Tim Drake]], due to being far more relatable than most Bat-characters, is also an example of this, even among Robins. Before him, the Robin mantle in general was widely derided for being a campy [[UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks Silver Age]] throwback, with Dick firmly in the role of Nightwing and Jason being killed off. However, he managed to make Robin ''work'' by being competent enough to not need Batman holding his hand or coming to his rescue, working hard to earn his rank, and being a nerdy teen and thus able to identify with. Unlike Dick, who is generally considered to have been RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap once he became Nightwing and Jason, who did the same (kind of) once he became the Red Hood, Tim is considered to have been great ''from the outset''. His popularity also led to him being the first Robin to get an ongoing series.
** Damian Wayne, Franchise/{{Batman}}'s son, was initially intended to die after his first storyline, and was widely disliked by fans for his bad attitude and violent behavior. He was then made into the new Robin, and became the co-headliner of the immensely popular ''[[Comicbook/GrantMorrisonsBatman Batman and Robin]]'' series, where he developed a brotherly friendship with Dick Grayson that people absolutely adore. Peter J. Tomasi would then further rescue Damian in the second ''Batman and Robin'' series, also immensely popular, where he worked with his dad. He has since developed a sizable fanbase, even being briefly added to the ''ComicBook/TeenTitans'' as part of a stunt to raise the title's sagging sales. This still didn't stop his creator from [[spoiler: going through with his original plans and finally killing him]], but he got better in a timely fashion and would get ''another'' ongoing once ''Batman and Robin'' ended, ''and then'' appear in ''Superman'' and get ''another'' series with Jon Kent with ''Super Sons''.
** Another, earlier example is Stephanie Brown, the fourth Robin and third Batgirl, respectively, and was an EnsembleDarkhorse in the ''Robin'' book before ''War Games'' killed her off. After her death, however, her popularity with the readers caused not only for her death to be {{retcon}}ned - but also for her to be made [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl2009}} the newest Batgirl]] with her own (Batman Beyond-esque) series with Barbara Gordon. Unfortunately it was cancelled, and Stephanie [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome got sent]] to ComicbookLimbo before being revealed to have been retconned out of existence entirely, not re-surfacing until 2014 as the Spoiler. It's become clear that Stephanie is an {{inverted|Trope}} CreatorsPet -- she has a vocal fanbase, but the [[ExecutiveMeddling higher-ups]] ''do not like'' the character. (Expect PopularityPolynomial to reverse this one day.)
** Similarly we have the second Batgirl, Cassandra Cain. Despite her origins as a ReplacementScrappy for Barbara Gordon, she [[ComicBook/{{Batgirl2000}} had her own series]] and built up a sizable fanbase, and there was an ''extreme'' backlash to misuse of the character. Like Steph, she was retconned out of existence to make way for Barbara's return, but there was a noticeable air of resentment from many fans, and she was eventually brought back in 2015, albeit with an altered backstory and not as Batgirl (which is still a point of contention). Like Steph, it's become clear that Cass is a character the fanbase adores, but that the writers hate.

** Black Mask is frequently cited as an example of a great Batman villain who is woefully underused. Maybe it's his [[EvilIsCool cool look]] or maybe it's his [[MagnificentBastard Xanatos-style intelligence]], but in any case fans seem to really like the guy. Him getting HijackedByGanon in ''Arkham Origins'' just caused much of the fanbase to clamor even harder for him to get a day in the limelight.
** Technically, ''WesternAnimation/BatmanBeyond'' star Terry [=McGinnis=] is this. Like [[CanonImmigrant Harley Quinn and Renee Montoya]] he was taken from the Franchise/{{DCAU}} due to his massive popularity and moved into the main universe as a possible alternate Batman -- though whether or not he's still Bruce' son (and Damian's younger brother) in that future is uncertain. His popularity created several comic series, and he was even brought into the main DCU again in the New 52.

** Comicbook/{{Batwoman}}, the first high profile lesbian superhero, got this from the outset when she appeared in ''52''. She eventually got her own ongoing as well as a supporting role in ''Batman, Incorporated''.
* Jaime Reyes, the Comicbook/BlueBeetle, having an immensely fan loved series Pre New 52 and post New 52 still retaining this, lasting a while despite low sales due to strong fan love. Pretty impressive given that as an AffirmativeActionLegacy character whose predecessor Ted Kord had been killed off for ''Countdown to Infinite Crisis'', he ran the ''strong'' risk of ending up as a ReplacementScrappy.

* Within ''Franchise/TheFlash'' comics, the older speedsters tend to get a lot of love:
** The original Golden Age Flash, Jay Garrick. The guy doesn't develop much in his modern appearances, and he's largely a supporting character even within the beloved ''JSA'' series. But you'll find ''nobody'', from Flash fan to wider DC fan, who doesn't just love the old man. He's ''the'' CoolOldGuy in the DCU, and a father figure to several generations of heroes. He's also one of the nicest guys alive, and even fellow heroes love the guy.
** Similarly, Max Mercury, another Golden Age speedster. He was introduced into the DCU with a case of RememberTheNewGuy, but his sage wisdom and zen attitude; interesting backstory and touching father-son relationship with his polar opposite Bart Allen, endeared him to readers. He's also sorta responsible for bringing the Speed Force into the franchise.

** And of the four Earth Lanterns, Guy Gardner is himself the darkhorse; originally a one-shot character who was brought back just so that he could be injured and John Stewart could take his place, writers just kept using him. He eventually became a sort of {{tragic|Hero}}-[[PluckyComicRelief comic]] AntiHero, and his popularity and thus notability increased dramatically. He even got his own solo series for a while in the 90s and another in 2010.
** In an odd example, the Sinestro Corps War storyline was originally meant as a [[BatFamilyCrossOver minor storyline]], the big stories of the DCU were supposed to be ''Comicbook/CountdownToFinalCrisis'' and ''ComicBook/AmazonsAttack''. However, Sinestro Corps War was a massive hit, and both ''Countdown'' and ''Amazons Attack'' were massive failures. In fact, Sinestro Corps War was such a great success, that its sequel, Comicbook/BlackestNight, became THE next major CrisisCrossover, and DC's way of [[AuthorsSavingThrow repairing the damage Countdown has done to their reputation]]. Fan outlook on the books is positive.

** Comicbook/{{Supergirl}} started out as a test to gauge fan interest in a female character with Kryptonian powers. Fan reaction was incredibly positive, and DC introduced a proper Supergirl -Kara Zor-El- the next year. Six decades and hundreds of comics later, Supergirl is still one of the most popular characters of the Superman mythos, even though DC killed her and tried to get the fandom to forget about her in 1985. They failed and eventually had to reintroduce the character.
** Her Earth-2 counterpart ComicBook/PowerGirl also qualifies due to being one of the most [[BestKnownForTheFanservice well-known]] [[MsFanservice sex symbols]] in DC Comics (there is a good reason she is the trope image for the comic book sub-page), even though she is not considered a A-list superhero nor really focused or used much, but she still has her very devoted fanbase regardless.

** Jon Kent, the third Superboy and Clark and Lois' son. Right from his creation he was adored for finally ''allowing'' Superman and Lois Lane to have a child, something fans have wanted for ''decades''. Also, given the YoungerAndHipper bent DC was on at the time, him allowing Superman to be a father was seen as a welcome change. Speaking of that, with Jon's introduction, writers were finally able to write newer types of stories for Superman, where he struggles with parenting, a problem he can't punch away. Jon himself is also beloved as a return to typical sidekick roots after years of deconstructing the concept, as he's a NiceGuy like his father with his mother's curiosity, with a well-written relationship with his parents and angst about living up to his father's legacy. He ended up co-starring with his father in ''ComicBook/SupermanRebirth'', where he sometimes gets more focus than the titular character, and very quickly got an ongoing alongside Damian Wayne, ''ComicBook/SuperSons''.

* ComicBook/ArchieComics
** Jughead is pretty popular, at least with nostalgic fans.
** ComicBook/SabrinaTheTeenageWitch become so popular to get her own series and several animated/live show.
** A later comic had Sabrina switch everyone's gender. Fans really want more of Reggie's counterpart, Regina, who is a proper AlphaBitch.
*** Archina and especially J.J. are very popular ''(a picture of them and Regina can be found [[http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yKw3LNA8R5A/UDVEUqWkmQI/AAAAAAAAArQ/HRn5YVJh0yU/s1600/gang1.jpg here]])''. Archina has cute GirlishPigtails and people enjoy her reverse harem more than the usual version, while J.J.'s fashion choices, apathetic personality, and BigEater qualities make her attractive to people (much more so than normal Jughead).
* ''ComicBook/ArchieComicsSonicTheHedgehog''
** NICOLE. Originally just a handheld computer of Princess Sally's hailing from the future, she was nothing more than a prop from the old days of ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehogSatAM''. Then, a story came out where an accident allowed NICOLE to experience life in Sally's body. Drawing from that, she constructs a HardLight lynx form for herself, sharing it with Sally privately. A few issues later, she aids Sonic and Shadow, showing her form to the others. Come the post-''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'' storyline, she's now one of the Freedom Fighters and a massively popular character in her own right.
** There's also Scourge the Hedgehog and, by extension, the Suppression Squad. When they first appeared, Scourge was just "Anti-Sonic", the Suppression Squad the "Anti-Freedom Fighters" and their homeworld of "Moebius" was just "Anti-Mobius". Even their looks were bland - they were just "Freedom Fighters in leather". Anti-Sonic was so ineffectual, his lowest point was being dropped by [[CheeseEatingSurrenderMonkeys Antoine]] ''completely by accident''. Under the pen of Ian Flynn, however, he shed all of those traits, getting a new look and taking a [[BreakThemByTalking breaking speech]] to heart, [[TookALevelInBadass becoming a massive threat.]]

* Scrooge [=McDuck=] was originally intended to be a one shot character in Creator/CarlBarks's comic ''Christmas on Bear Mountain''. But due to the unexpected popularity of the character he became a recurring character in the WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck comics, eventually getting his own comic book series, and eventually making animated appearances.

* Franchise/ArchieComics

** NICOLE. Originally just a handheld computer of Princess Sally's hailing from the future, she was nothing more than a prop from the old days of ''WesternAnimation/SonicTheHedgehog'''s Saturday Morning cartoon. Then, a story came out where an accident allowed NICOLE to experience life in Sally's body. Drawing from that, she constructs a HardLight lynx form for herself, sharing it with Sally privately. A few issues later, she aids Sonic and Shadow, showing her form to the others. Come the post-''ComicBook/SonicTheHedgehogMegaManWorldsCollide'' storyline, she's now one of the Freedom Fighters and a massively popular character in her own right.

** Speaking of Wonder Woman, there is ComicBook/{{Artemis}} of the Bana-Mighdall. Introduced as an AntiHeroSubstitute of Diana in the '90s, Artemis was killed off but resurrected due to her popularity as a {{Foil}} to Diana. She has since become the most focused and developed member of the Bana-Mighdall tribe and is considered one of the most iconic Wonder Woman supporting characters.

* Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel (formerly Comicbook/MsMarvel), was originally created as a DistaffCounterpart to Comicbook/CaptainMarVell, and even worse, became known as 'the woman whose power got stolen by [[ComicBook/XMen Rogue]]' (who is actually more popular). However, she has actually made quite a name for herself and developed an ever-growing fan following. She was included in both ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' games as a playable character, and many players agreed that she was one of the best characters. She also appears in several other shows such as ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', is slated to appear in Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', appeared in ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher'' and comic-wise, she's shaped up to be one of the more important heroines of the Marvel Universe (even going so far as becoming the AlternateCompanyEquivalent of DC's iconic Franchise/WonderWoman). In July 2012, she became [[LegacyCharacter Captain Marvel]], getting her own own series, [[WolverinePublicity popping up everywhere]] - especially in the ''All-New, All-Different'' Marvel Universe - and is now getting [[Film/CaptainMarvel2019 her own film]] in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''.
** Then, we have the ''other'' Ms. Marvel, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan.]] Teenager? Check. Minority? Check. Taking up the title of an abandoned identity? Check. No major connection to the previous character? Double check. Being pushed for some sort of initiative? The whole building up the Inhumans bit - Check there. Had this been the 90s, there would have been a major uproar and demands for Carol to return to her old name. However, Kamala, who is pretty much JustForFun/OneOfUs and a sweet and lovable girl, won people over instantly with her crazy adventures and out-and-out [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee squeeing over seeing her heroes]]. Her popularity exploded to the point where, not only is she part of the Avengers in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' initiative, as well as showing up in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' and ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Marvel's Avengers]]'', but she'll also get her very own ''Marvel Cinematic Universe'' show on Creator/DisneyPlus (It helps that she appeared a couple of years after Carol's becoming Captain Marvel, which was itself well received).
* The ComicBook/{{Runaways}}, while kind of a group of {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s, have three big ones. Molly Hayes, being BadassAdorable incarnate, is pretty popular. Gert is also extremely popular, with the majority of fans wanting her back on the team. The biggest would be ComicBook/NicoMinoru - she started as the {{Love Interest|s}} of [[TheLeader Alex]], but quickly caught fans' interest. Since [[spoiler: Alex's death at the end of the first series]], she took over the leadership of the team, was the first member of the team (and second teenage superhero after ComicBook/{{X 23}}) to appear in ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' and her death in ''Avengers Arena'' caused so much backlash that Marvel was forced to release a preview from the issue with her resurrection a week after, to calm fans down, skipping over the preview of an entire issue in the process.

In 2015 she got [[ComicBook/TheUnbeatableSquirrelGirl her own series]] which full embraced the Silver Age silliness she was a callback to. It was well received and got a new issue #1 in the 2015 reboot.

** Spider-Man himself started out as one as his first issue was the last publishing of ''Amazing Fantasy'', which was expected to not sell. Expectations were [[BreakoutCharacter proven wrong]] and Spidey not only got his own series but also got a [[Franchise/{{Spiderman}} franchise]] based around him and is generally regarded as the flagship character of the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse. Notably, when his status in the Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse was rendered "ExiledFromContinuity" by the deal between Creator/{{Sony}} and Creator/{{Disney}} falling through in August 2019, there was an uproar within the fandom.

** ComicBook/{{Mysterio}} was initially thought of as a ridiculously dumb villain for his fish bowl head and silly get up, however his popularity grew over the years culminating in his (in)famous ''ComicBook/OldManLogan'' appearance. Mysterio has become a BreakoutVillain and fans were eager to see Creator/BruceCampbell portray him before Raimi’s Spider-Man 4 was cancelled, fans were mollified as Creator/JakeGyllenhaal took up the role in ''Film/SpiderManFarFromHome''.
** There’s also ComicBook/MaryJaneWatson, who was originally simply meant to be TheRival of Gwen Stacy but eventually became Peter's true love

** Hobgoblin Rodrick Kingsley is considered to be the true Hobgoblin and readers were quite pleased to see his return.

** J. Jonah Jameson when he's written right.

** ComicBook/SpiderGwen, the Gwen Stacy Spider-Woman that showed up in the storyline ''ComicBook/SpiderVerse''. Fans were already clamoring for more of her ''just by the cover to her first official story''. It got worse when previews started coming out. It was so bad that there were already people cosplaying as her ''long before'' she officially appeared in a comic!. And less than a month after she finally appeared in a comic, she gets his personal ongoing series and became officially part of the Spider family.

** There are a number of people enamored with his "Bombastic Bag Man" getup.

** ComicBook/{{Wolverine}} has turned into this in just about all of his incarnations. In fact, he's ''so'' popular, he's often [[WolverinePublicity used as a marketing ploy for other series in which he doesn't appear at all]]. Ironically, one of the early plans was for [[ChromeChampion Colossus]] to be the BreakoutCharacter and Wolverine nearly killed off in his third issue with the team (and second as X-man), which more recent fans would no doubt find hard to believe. Instead they killed his teammate Thunderbird, who had a very similar personality, largely because his powers were more generic than Wolverine's (neither a HealingFactor nor claws were particularly common powers in comic books at the time; it's largely Wolverine's later hyper-popularity that changed that).

** And that Asgardian Agent story gave us Verity Willis, who is the perfect foil/friend for the trickster god, and also legitimately awesome in her own right.

In 2015 she got her own series which full embraced the Silver Age silliness she was a callback to. It was well received and got a new issue #1 in the 2015 reboot.

** Among ''Comicbook/XStatix'''s frequently rotating cast, few stood out as much as the team's teleporter, U-Go Girl, a cute blue-skinned SouthernBelle with a TearJerker of a backstory and probably the most functional moral compass among the UnscrupulousHero team. Writer Peter Milligan was well aware of her popularity and chose to herald a major turning point in the story by [[KillTheCutie killing her off]] - years later, reflecting on the series, he considered doing that his biggest mistake. But with ''ComicBook/JohnathanHickmanXMen'' gaining the means to bring mutants BackFromTheDead, it's only a matter of time until U-Go Girl makes her long-awaited return.

** ''ComicBook/NikolaiDante'' was, by a fairly wide margin, voted to appear on the cover of prog 2000, in spite of the series only having run for three years at the time and pushing aside long time fan favorites like [[ComicBook/ABCWarriors Hammerstein]] and ComicBook/Slaine.

* The success of the ''Film/{{Deadpool}}'' movie has not only made interest in the character explode, but Domino's as well; fans are practically ''begging'' for her to be in a possible sequel. Just go to Website/DeviantArt and put her name into the search engine to see as many hits recently as the X-Ladies.

** Speaking of Wonder Woman, there is ComicBook/{{Artemis}} of the Bana-Mighdall. Introduced as an AntiHeroSubstitute of Diana in the '90s, Artemis was killed off but resurrected due to her popularity as a {{Foil}} to Diana. She has since become the most focused and developed of not just the Bana-Mighdall tribe but of the Amazons as a whole and is considered one of the most iconic Wonder Woman characters.

** Then, we have the ''other'' Ms. Marvel, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan.]] Teenager? Check. Minority? Check. Taking up the title of an abandoned identity? Check. No major connection to the previous character? Double check. Being pushed for some sort of initiative? The whole building up the Inhumans bit - Check there. Had this been the 90s, there would have been a major uproar and demands for Carol to return to her old name. However, Kamala, who is pretty much JustForFun/OneOfUs and a sweet and lovable girl, won people over instantly with her crazy adventures and out-and-out [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee squeeing over seeing her heroes]]. Her popularity exploded to the point where, not only is she part of the Avengers in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' initiative, as well as showing up in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' and ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Marvel's Avengers]]'', but she'll also get her very own ''Marvel Cinematic Universe'' show on UsefulNotes/DisneyPlus (It helps that she appeared a couple of years after Carol's becoming Captain Marvel, which was itself well received).

** Then, we have the ''other'' Ms. Marvel, [[ComicBook/MsMarvel2014 Kamala Khan.]] Teenager? Check. Minority? Check. Taking up the title of an abandoned identity? Check. No major connection to the previous character? Double check. Being pushed for some sort of initiative? The whole building up the Inhumans bit - Check there. Had this been the 90s, there would have been a major uproar and demands for Carol to return to her old name. However, Kamala, who is pretty much JustForFun/OneOfUs and a sweet and lovable girl, won people over instantly with her crazy adventures and out-and-out [[TheKnightsWhoSaySquee squeeing over seeing her heroes]]. Her popularity exploded to the point where, not only is she part of the Avengers in the ''ComicBook/AllNewAllDifferentMarvel'' initiative, but she'll also show up in ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' and ''[[VideoGame/LegoAdaptationGame Lego Marvel's Avengers]]'' (It helps that she appeared a couple of years after Carol's becoming Captain Marvel, which was itself well received).
* The ComicBook/{{Runaways}}, while kind of a group of {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s, have three big ones. Molly Hayes, being BadassAdorable incarnate, is pretty popular. Gert is also extremely popular, with the majority of fans wanting her back on the team. The biggest would be Nico Minoru - she started as the {{Love Interest|s}} of [[TheLeader Alex]], but quickly caught fans' interest. Since [[spoiler: Alex's death at the end of the first series]], she took over the leadership of the team, was the first member of the team (and second teenage superhero after ComicBook/{{X 23}}) to appear in ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' and her death in ''Avengers Arena'' caused so much backlash that Marvel was forced to release a preview from the issue with her resurrection a week after, to calm fans down, skipping over the preview of an entire issue in the process.

** Spider-Man himself started out as one as his first issue was expected to not sell. Expectations were [[BreakoutCharacter proven wrong]] and Spidey not only got his own series but also got a [[Franchise/{{Spiderman}} franchise]] based around him and is generally regarded as the flagship character of the entire Franchise/MarvelUniverse.

** Among ''Comicbook/XStatix'''s frequently rotating cast, few stood out as much as the team's teleporter, U-Go Girl, a cute blue-skinned SouthernBelle with a TearJerker of a backstory and probably the most functional moral compass among the UnscrupulousHero team. Writer Peter Milligan was well aware of her popularity and chose to herald a major turning point in the story by [[KillTheCutie killing her off]] - years later, reflecting on the series, he considered doing that his biggest mistake.

** Flash Thompson as Venom got his own series and is not quite well known as Brock-Venom still is considered a runner
** Venom: the black suit and Eddie Brock is also very popular as well as Carnage. WordOfGod is that Eddie Brock was originally slated to die after a number of issues, with the Venom symbiote bouncing around to other characters. Eddie proved so popular that he kept the symbiote much longer than planned and has stayed alive and revamped to be more of an AntiHero, with Carnage created specifically to fill the "evil symbiote" role originally planned for Venom.
** Toxin is also quite popular; a pity that Patrick Mullgan died and that Toxin is now bonbed to Eddie Brock.
** J Jonah Jameson when he's written right.

** Karn the only good member of the Inheritors that is actually liked by fans largely for his tragic backstory, fun design, and especially for [[HeelFaceTurn betraying the]] [[KickTheSonOfABitch other Inheritors.]]

* ComicBook/{{Ares}}, Greek god of war, had been since UsefulNotes/TheSilverAgeOfComicBooks nothing more than a lesser enemy of [[Comicbook/TheIncredibleHercules Hercules]] and [[Comicbook/TheMightyThor Thor]] who nobody cared about. Then he got a mini-series in 2004 that strongly revamped his character, and later joined the Avengers. Since then multiple writers in multiple titles were working hard to make him win the fans' love. They succeeded so much that [[spoiler: his death caused an InternetBackdraft much stronger than the death of Wasp, founding Avenger.]]

* The ComicBook/{{Runaways}}, while kind of a group of {{Ensemble Darkhorse}}s, have three big ones. Molly Hayes, being BadassAdorable incarnate, is pretty popular. Gert is also extremely popular, with the majority of fans wanting her back on the team. The biggest would be Nico Minoru - she started as the {{Love Interest|s}} of [[TheLeader Alex]], but quickly caught fans' interest. Since [[spoiler: Alex's death at the end of the first series]], she took over the leadership of the team, was the first member of the team (and second teenage superhero after ComicBook/{{X 23}}) to appear in ''VideoGame/MarvelAvengersAlliance'' and her death in ''Avengers Arena'' caused so much InternetBackdraft that Marvel was forced to release a preview from the issue with her resurrection a week after, to calm fans down, skipping over the preview of an entire issue in the process.

** Spider-Man himself started out as one as his first issue was expected to not sell. Expectations were proven wrong and now has his own series.

** The series also has Mary Jane, who was originally simply meant to be TheRival of Gwen Stacy but eventually became Peter's true love, and [[DatingCatwoman Black Cat]] who transformed from a simple bank robber to a romantic love interest and even crime-fighting partner.
** Shocker is also pretty popular to due his cool design, personality, and cool weapons

** Venom: the black suit and Eddie Brock is also quite popular as well as Carnage. WordOfGod is that Eddie Brock was originally slated to die after a number of issues, with the Venom symbiote bouncing around to other characters. Eddie proved so popular that he kept the symbiote much longer than planned and has stayed alive and revamped to be more of an AntiHero, with Carnage created specifically to fill the "evil symbiote" role originally planned for Venom.

* In ''ComicBook/{{Wildguard}}'' "Freezerburn" was originally going to die in #4, but the series site poll showed him to be one of the most popular characters. Crag Langley was dispatched instead.

** Nate Grey a.k.a. Comicbook/XMan, from the Age of Apocalypse, qualifies, getting a solo series that lasted for over six years and 75 issues, being one of the key players in the Age of Apocalypse and Onslaught, the two big X-Events of the 90's, and hanging out with Spider-Man, the X-Men and even - briefly - the Avengers, before stealing the show on his return in Dark X-Men, in which he proceeded to play the entire cast like a fiddle. [[spoiler: Pity the Green Goblin persona wasn't as self-destructive as he thought]]. After that, he had a solid role in the New Mutants until Marvel NOW. Not bad for an alternate reality version of Cable.

* Carol Danvers, a.k.a. Captain Marvel (formerly Comicbook/MsMarvel), was originally created as a DistaffCounterpart to Comicbook/CaptainMarVell, and even worse, became known as 'the woman whose power got stolen by [[ComicBook/XMen Rogue]]' (who is actually more popular). However, she has actually made quite a name for herself and developed an ever-growing fan following. She was included in both ''VideoGame/MarvelUltimateAlliance'' games as a playable character, and many players agreed that she was one of the best characters. She also appears in several other shows such as ''WesternAnimation/TheSuperHeroSquadShow'' and ''WesternAnimation/TheAvengersEarthsMightiestHeroes'', is slated to appear in Season 3 of ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'', appeared in ''Anime/AvengersConfidentialBlackWidowAndPunisher'' and comic-wise, she's shaped up to be one of the more important heroines of the Marvel Universe (even going so far as becoming the AlternateCompanyEquivalent of DC's iconic Franchise/WonderWoman). In July 2012, she became [[LegacyCharacter Captain Marvel]], getting her own own series, [[WolverinePublicity popping up everywhere]] - especially in the ''All-New, All-Different'' Marvel Universe - and is now getting [[Film/CaptainMarvel her own film]] in the ''Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse''.